Window regulator and lock



Oct. 3, 1939. RHE|N WINDOW REGULATOR AND LOCK Filed 001:. 30, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. [Joy d bein' 15W M, M-W L ATTORN Oct. 3, 1939. 1..- R. RHEIN WINDQW REGULATOR AND LOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 50, 1937 INVENTOR Lloyd Rhem M0u ww b ATTORNEY.5

Oct 3 1939. R RHElN wmbow REGULATOR AND LOCK Filed Oct. 30, 19:57 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Lloyd Rhe'm 614/1140.

ATTORNEY. 5

Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW REGULATOR AND LOCK Application October 30, 1937, Serial No. 171,838

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the operation of and control of a swinging panel, and particularly a swinging window panel for closing a part of or the whole of a window opening in an automobile body. Such swinging panels are frequently used in window openings, together with a sliding window panel, both serving to close the opening. Rear window openings in a closed body such as a sedan, are frequently closed wholly by a swinging panel. Such swinging panels are usually mounted on an upwardly and downwardly extending axis, although the axis need not be truly vertical, and they are commonly referred to as ventilating panels. Due to the pivoted mounting such panels are subject to being forced or pried open or partially open, with the result that unauthorized persons may obtain access to the interior of the car body which is locked.

The principal object of the invention is to provide what may be termed a combined operating and locking mechanism for such a panel, operable by a single control element such as a handle. The locking mechanism is actuated when the panel is closed, or about closed, and in this regard a lost play connection is provided between the operating handle and the mechanism for swinging the panel so that some movement of the locking mechanism may be effected subsequent to complete closing of the panel. n the other hand, when the control element is actuated to open the panel, some movement of the locking mechanism occurs before the panel starts to swing open.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism arranged to hold the panel against swinging movement which, while operated by the panel control means, localizes forces tending to force the panel so that such forces are not transmitted to the means which swings the panel.

One form of construction for carrying out the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and described in detail below, and a consideration of the drawings and such detailed description will make apparent further and other objects of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a panel and its operating and locking mechanism, looking from the inside of a vehicle body, with the inside trim moved to expose some of the mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a view taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1 showing some of the mechanism in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the position of some of the parts when the window is closed and locked.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the position of the same parts when the panel is open. 5

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line i-6 of Fig. 3 showing the looking mechanism in locked position.

Fig. '7 is a similar cross sectional view taken substantially on line (-1 of Fig. 4 illustrating unlocked position.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a perspective of a body or carrier plate.

A swinging panel is illustrated at l in Fig. 1 and it may be glass with an edging of channel shaped metal 2. The opening which the panel is designed to close is defined by a sealing strip 3 of rubber or the like and by a strip 4. Fig. 1 illustrates the panel in closed position. An axis member for the panel is illustrated at 5, and the panel member and axis member 5 are connected by a connecting piece 6.

The control mechanism is mounted on a frame member as illustrated in Fig. 10. This may be a stamping having a body portion I with a bearing 8 for the member 5, a struck-up ear 9, attaching ears [0, a wall H, and a slotted guide l2. This frame member may be mounted as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 wherein the outer panel of the body is shown at IS. A bracket member is shown as having relatively angular walls I4 and 5, a rear wall having portions i6 and I1 and a lower wall IS. The guide l2 may project through an aperture in the wall H as illustrated, 40.

and there may be weld connections substantially at the points X. This supporting structure may be attached to an inner panel of the body by the apertured ears l0.

A rotatable member 20 having a screw threaded portion 2! is journaled in aperture 22. A suitable control handle is to be secured to the spindle 20. A nut 23 is threaded to the spindle and arranged to be fed axially of the spindle upon rotation thereof and the same may slide upon the wall !8. An arm 25 is pivotally connected to the nut as at 25 and it has a fulcrum on the frame at 21. This arm rocks on its fulcrum as the nut is reciprocated. There is a connection between the member 5 and the arm which takes the form of a gear 28, which may be a partial gear, and a geared sector 29 pivoted on the fulcrum pin 21. The rocker arm 25 is formed with a trough or depression 30 for the reception of a coil spring 3 I, and the sector is formed with a depending lug 32 (Figs. 8 and 9). This structure forms an operable connection between the rocker arm 25 and sector 29.

The gear 28 may be held in position by a support member 33 in the form of a sheet metal stamping having a peripheral edge 34 secured to the frame as by means of welding or the like, while the member has a depending stud portion 35. A friction device functions on the stud and this may take the form of a U-shaped clamp 36 held in frictional engagement with the stud portion by a screw 31 and spring 38, this clamp being secured to the under side of the member 33 by means of an extending wing 40 which may be welded to the member 33.

The locking structure resides in a locking bar 4| (Figs. 6 and '7), one end of which is slidably guided in the member l2 and which is slidably guided adjacent its other end by a guide 42, formed by an upturned portion of the bracket and a guide piece 42a. secured thereto as shown in Fig. 5. A locking lever 43 is pivotally mounted on the ear 9 as at 44, and has one end 45 engaged in an opening in the locking bar. The other end of the lever has an end portion 46 which extends into a slot 4'! in the frame plate.

The rocker lever 25 may be formed of sheet metal and has an upturned end portion formed with a recess 48, an abutment 48a and a surface 49 leading to a high point 49a which defines one side of the recess. The abutment is arranged to engage the projection 46 and the projection 45 is designed to lie in the recess 48. The abutment 48a travels in the slot 41. The channel 2 of the panel may be formed with a depression 50 for receiving the end of the locking bar as shown in Fig. 6.

In the operation of the device it will be understood that an operating handle is mounted on the spindle 20. The rotation of the spindle feeds the nut 23 substantially to and from the extreme position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The threads may be right or left handed, depending upon which way it is preferred that the handle rotate in the opening and closing operations. Movement of the nut rocks the rocker arm 25, and through the means of the interengaging teeth on the sector and gear the members 5 and 5 are rocked, and thus the panel which is swung on its axis. The conflicting straight line movement of the nut and arcuate movement at 26 due to the pivotal mounting of lever 25, is, in the structure shown, taken care of by an angular displacement or wobble of the screw member 2| on its single point mounting at 22. When the parts are in the position substantially as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the panel has been swung substantially through its maximum movement and is open. The parts may be adjusted in any intermediate position for appropriate positioning of the panel, and the friction clamp 36 serves to hold and stabilize the panel in its adjusted position and prevents it from rattling or vibrating. When the parts are adjusted substantially to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the panel is closed. When the panel is closed and the rocker arm 25 may be given additional rocking movement without movement of the gear 28 because of the spring 3|. Fig. 8 illustrates how the recess 30 on the rocker arm 25 has shifted while the sector 29 has not shifted because the projection-32 has caused the spring 3| to be compressed. This puts a tension upon the panel when it is in closed position. Also, it facilitates additional movement of the rocker arm 25 to actuate the locking mechanism. When the rocker arm 25 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the abutment 48a. has contacted with the projection 46 of the locking lever and swung it from the position illustrated in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 6. This action causes the locking bar to shift, as illustrated in these two views, and it engages in the recess 59 of the channel 2. The presence of the springs 3| permits of such additional movement of the rocker arm 25 that the locking bar may be forced with considerable pressure against the channel of the panel, even though the panel itself is completely closed prior to the final movement of the locking bar.

Thus it will be observed that the panel is automatically locked. When the mechanism is operated to open the panel the first thing that happens is that the locking lever is caused to be swung from the Fig. 6 position to the Fig. '7 position. This occurs because the projection portion 46 lies in the recess 48, and as this end of the rocking lever shifts from theposition shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. '7, the high point 49a on one side of the recess rides under the end 46 of the rocking lever and positively withdraws the locking bar. This, of course, is automatic so that all the operator does is to operate the control handle. It will be noted that the locking mechanism is effective without transmitting the forces through the sector and gear. The thread on the part 2| is preferably irreversible or substantially irreversible. The pressure of the locking bar tends to shift the locking lever 25 clockwise, as Fig. 3 is viewed, around the point 26. This is resisted by the fulcrum point 2'! of the lever. Thus the forces are localized, and if an attempt be made to force the panel open the operating mechanism including the gear and sector and associated parts are protected from such forces. The nut will not cause the spindle to rotate when pressure is applied to the nut, due to the irreversible thread.

I claim:

1. An operating and locking mechanism for a swinging panel which is adapted to close and open a window opening or part thereof, comprising in combination, a rocker arm mounted upon a fixed fulcrum, a gear member fixed to an axis member of the swinging panel, a toothed sector having its teeth meshing with the gear and pivotally mounted relative to the rocker arm, spring means interconnecting the lever and sector, means for rocking the lever to cause swinging movement of the panel to and from closed position, locking means including a locking member shiftable into engagement with the panel when it is closed, and means on the rocker member for engaging an element of the locking means substantially upon complete closing of the panel, said spring means permitting movement of the rocker member subsequent to complete closing of the panel whereby said means may actuate the locking member into locking position subsequent to closing of the panel.

2. An operating and locking mechanism for a swinging panel which is adapted to close and open a window opening or part thereof, comprising in combination, a rocker arm mounted upon a fixed fulcrum, a gear member fixed to an axis member of the swinging panel, a toothed sector having its teeth meshing with the gear and pivotally mounted relative to the rocker arm, spring means interconnecting the lever and sector, means for rocking the lever to cause swinging movement of the panel to and from closed position, locking means including a locking member shiftable into engagement with the panel when it is closed, and means on the rocker member for engaging an element of the locking means substantially upon complete closing of the panel, said spring means permitting movement of the rocker member subsequent to complete closing of the panel whereby said means may actuate the locking member into locking position subsequent to closing of the panel, and means for positively shifting the locking member out of locking position upon initial movement of the rocker member in panel-opening direction.

3. An operating and locking mechanism for a swinging panel which is adapted to close and open a window opening or part thereof, comprising in combination, a rotatable screw threaded control member, a shiftable nut mounted upon the screw threads, a rocker member connected to the nut, a fixed fulcrum therefor, a gear for swinging the panel, a toothed sector having its teeth meshing with the gear and adapted to be operated by the rocker member, locking means including a shiftable locking member and arranged to engage the panel when it is closed, means on the rocker member for engaging an element of the locking means substantially when the panel is closed and a lost play connection between the rocker member and the sector permitting movement of the rocker member after the closing of the panel whereby said means may shift the locking member into locking engagement with the panel.

4. An operating and locking mechanism for a swinging panel which is adapted to close and open a window opening or part thereof, comprising in combination, a rotatable screw threaded control member, a shiftable nut mounted upon the screw threads, a rocker member connected to the nut, a fixed fulcrum therefor, a gear for swinging the panel, a toothed sector having its teeth meshing with the gear and adapted to be operated by the rocker member, locking means including a shiftable locking member and arranged to engage the panel when it is closed, means on the rocker member for engaging an element of the locking means substantially when the panel is closed and a lost play connection between the rocker member and the sector whereby the rocker member may be rocked subsequent to the closing of the panel to cause said means to actuate the locking means and shift the locking member into engagement with the panel, and means on the rocker member for shifting the locking member out of locking engagement upon reverse rocking movement of the rocker member substantially while taking up the lost play connection between the rocker member and sector.

5. An operating and locking mechanism for a swinging panel which is adapted to close and open a Window opening or part thereof, comprising in combination, a rotatable screw threaded control member, a shiftable nut mounted upon the screw threads, a rocker member connected to the nut, a fixed fulcrum therefor, a gear for swinging the panel, a toothed sector having its teeth meshing with the gear and adapted to be operated by the rocker member, locking means including a shiftable locking member and arranged to engage the panel when it is closed, i

means on the rocker member for engaging an element of the locking means substantially when the panel is closed, and a spring controlled lost play connection between the rocker member and the sector permitting movement of the rocker member after the closing of the panel whereby said means may shift the locking member into locking engagement with the panel.

6. An operating mechanism for a swinging panel which is adapted to close and open a window opening or part thereof, comprising in combination, means operable to swing the panel and including a pivoted member having a recess defined on one side by a relatively high abutment and on the other side by a relatively low abutment, a locking member movable into engagement with the panel for locking the same against movement, a lever having a fixed fulcrum and having one end articulated with the locking member and having a projection at its other end lying in the path of the abutments on the movable member, said relatively high abutment adapted to engage the projection to swing the lever and thereby shift the locking member into engagement with the panel when it is closed, said recess receiving the projection when the locking member is in engagement with the panel, said relatively low projection engaging the projection to rock the lever and shift the locking member out of engaging position with the panel when the movable member is shifted in a direction for opening the panel.

LLOYD R. RHEIN. 

